diff --git a/common/content/buffer.js b/common/content/buffer.js
index 6837abbd..b4927118 100644
--- a/common/content/buffer.js
+++ b/common/content/buffer.js
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ function Buffer() //{{{
                 }
                 catch (e) { liberator.reportError(e) }
             },
-            completer: function (context) completion.charset(context)
+            completer: function (context) completion.charset(context),
+            validator: Option.validateCompleter
         });
 
     // FIXME: Most certainly belongs elsewhere.
diff --git a/common/content/editor.js b/common/content/editor.js
index a9e7789a..f2952281 100644
--- a/common/content/editor.js
+++ b/common/content/editor.js
@@ -894,12 +894,10 @@ function Editor() //{{{
             else
                 return false;
 
-            let oldbg, tmpBg;
+            let oldBg, tmpBg;
             try
             {
                 let res = io.withTempFiles(function (tmpfile) {
-                    io.writeFile(tmpfile, text);
-
                     if (textBox)
                     {
                         textBox.setAttribute("readonly", "true");
@@ -908,6 +906,10 @@ function Editor() //{{{
                         textBox.style.backgroundColor = "#bbbbbb";
                     }
 
+                    if (!io.writeFile(tmpfile, text))
+                        throw "Input contains characters not valid in the current " +
+                              "file encoding";
+
                     this.editFileExternally(tmpfile.path);
 
                     if (textBox)
diff --git a/common/content/io.js b/common/content/io.js
index 27c860a3..a3f3a248 100644
--- a/common/content/io.js
+++ b/common/content/io.js
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ function IO() //{{{
     ////////////////////// OPTIONS ////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
 
+    options.add(["fileencoding", "fenc"],
+        "Sets the character encoding of read and written files",
+        "string", "UTF-8",
+        {
+            completer: function (context) completion.charset(context),
+            validator: Option.validateCompleter
+        });
     options.add(["cdpath", "cd"],
         "List of directories searched when executing :cd",
         "stringlist", cdpath,
@@ -685,19 +692,21 @@ function IO() //{{{
          *     pathname or an instance of nsIFile.
          * @returns {string}
          */
-        readFile: function (file)
+        readFile: function (file, encoding)
         {
             let ifstream = Cc["@mozilla.org/network/file-input-stream;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIFileInputStream);
             let icstream = Cc["@mozilla.org/intl/converter-input-stream;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIConverterInputStream);
 
-            let toCharset = "UTF-8";
+            if (!encoding)
+                encoding = options["fileencoding"];
             if (typeof file == "string")
                 file = self.getFile(file);
             else if (!(file instanceof Ci.nsILocalFile))
                 throw Cr.NS_ERROR_INVALID_ARG; // FIXME: does not work as expected, just shows undefined: undefined
+                // How would you expect it to work? It's an integer. --Kris
 
             ifstream.init(file, -1, 0, 0);
-            icstream.init(ifstream, toCharset, 4096, Ci.nsIConverterInputStream.DEFAULT_REPLACEMENT_CHARACTER); // 4096 bytes buffering
+            icstream.init(ifstream, encoding, 4096, Ci.nsIConverterInputStream.DEFAULT_REPLACEMENT_CHARACTER); // 4096 bytes buffering
 
             let buffer = "";
             let str = {};
@@ -734,12 +743,17 @@ function IO() //{{{
          *     permissions if the file exists.
          * @default 0644
          */
-        writeFile: function (file, buf, mode, perms)
+        writeFile: function (file, buf, mode, perms, encoding)
         {
             let ofstream = Cc["@mozilla.org/network/file-output-stream;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIFileOutputStream);
-            let ocstream = Cc["@mozilla.org/intl/converter-output-stream;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIConverterOutputStream);
+            function getStream(defaultChar) {
+                let stream = Cc["@mozilla.org/intl/converter-output-stream;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIConverterOutputStream);
+                stream.init(ofstream, encoding, 0, defaultChar);
+                return stream;
+            }
 
-            let charset = "UTF-8"; // Can be any character encoding name that Mozilla supports
+            if (!encoding)
+                encoding = options["fileencoding"];
             if (typeof file == "string")
                 file = self.getFile(file);
             else if (!(file instanceof Ci.nsILocalFile))
@@ -754,11 +768,33 @@ function IO() //{{{
                 perms = 0644;
 
             ofstream.init(file, mode, perms, 0);
-            ocstream.init(ofstream, charset, 0, 0x0000);
-            ocstream.writeString(buf);
-
-            ocstream.close();
-            ofstream.close();
+            let ocstream = getStream(0);
+            try
+            {
+                ocstream.writeString(buf);
+            }
+            catch (e)
+            {
+                liberator.dump(e);
+                if (e.result == Cr.NS_ERROR_LOSS_OF_SIGNIFICANT_DATA)
+                {
+                    ocstream = getStream("?".charCodeAt(0));
+                    ocstream.writeString(buf);
+                    return false;
+                }
+                else
+                    throw e;
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    ocstream.close();
+                }
+                catch (e) {}
+                ofstream.close();
+            }
+            return true;
         },
 
         /**
diff --git a/vimperator/locale/en-US/index.txt b/vimperator/locale/en-US/index.txt
index 7209a436..565892ba 100644
--- a/vimperator/locale/en-US/index.txt
+++ b/vimperator/locale/en-US/index.txt
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ section:Options[option-index]
 ||'eventignore'|| List of autocommand event names which should be ignored +
 ||'exrc'|| Allow reading of an RC file in the current directory +
 ||'extendedhinttags'|| XPath string of hintable elements activated by [m];[m] +
+||'fileencoding'|| Changes the character encoding that Vimperator uses to read and write files.
 ||'focuscontent'|| Try to stay in Normal mode after loading a web page +
 ||'followhints'|| Change the behaviour of [m]<Return>[m] in Hints mode +
 ||'fullscreen'|| Show the current window fullscreen +
diff --git a/vimperator/locale/en-US/options.txt b/vimperator/locale/en-US/options.txt
index c81b2ec5..07578854 100644
--- a/vimperator/locale/en-US/options.txt
+++ b/vimperator/locale/en-US/options.txt
@@ -315,6 +315,13 @@ current page.
 ____
 
 
+|\'fenc'| |\'fileencoding'|
+||'fileencoding'|| string (default: "UTF-8")
+____
+Changes the character encoding that Vimperator uses to read and write files.
+____
+
+
 |\'nofc'| |\'nofocuscontent'| |\'fc'| |\'focuscontent'|
 ||'focuscontent' 'fc'|| boolean (default: off)
 ____